Sony Music Middle East Appoints Former Spotify Exec Rami Mohsen as Managing Director

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Barbie” is running into censorship headaches in the Middle East. Leading regional exhibitor Vox Cinemas – which is Warner Bros.’ local distribution partner – has pushed back the release of the hit Greta Gerwig film to Aug. 31 after initially setting a July 19 rollout out date for “Barbie” in the Middle East that would have allowed local audiences to see the film two days before its U.S.

Bob Iger, with pressure mounting on multiple fronts, has turned to former top Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, hiring them as consultants to the media giant as it defines its strategy.

Naman Ramachandran Marjorie Kaplan, who previously spent 20 years as a senior executive at Discovery, is joining the board of U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV. Kaplan will join as an independent non-executive director from Sept.

If memory serves correctly, Sony Pictures was one of the first studios to shift their release date calendar in the wake of the big 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, and now, with another calamity in front of the film industry—the dual WGA (writers) & SAG (actors) strikes—the company is again pretty much the first studio to respond and delay their release calendar in reply.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Utopia has acquired North American rights to “The Sweet East,” a contemporary travelogue that marks the feature directing debut of Sean Price Williams. The sale comes after the film debuted at Director’s Fortnight during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Williams has a reputation as one of the most talented cinematographers in the independent film space, having previously worked with the likes of the Safdie Brothers, Alex Ross Perry, Michael Almereyda, Abel Ferrara and Albert Maysles.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music + The Beatport Group is opening applications for grants to its second annual Diversity + Parity Fund. The investment initiative is designed to support organizations that focus on underrepresented groups and promote diversity within the music industry.

“Oppenheimer” is director Christopher Nolan’s first R-rated film in over 20 years due to its sexual content, nudity and explicit language. And one scene featuring a topless Florence Pugh has offended religious and government officials alike in India and the Middle East, who have taken action to censor the shot since the film’s global release.Pugh, 27, plays Jean Tatlock, a brilliant psychiatrist and communist who falls for physicist J.

announced it would be raising the price on it US plans by $1.A student plan will now cost $5.99 per month, a single premium plan will star at $10.99 and families can expect to pay $16.99.The music and podcast streaming app has embarked on a number of drastic cost cutting moves in recent months. In January, it cut 800 jobs, and it laid off additional 200 people in June.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter An intimate moment in Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama “Oppenheimer” has been censored in several countries outside the U.S., including India. The altered scene takes place as Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who led the development of the atomic bomb, sits naked across from Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock, a Communist Party member with whom he had a torrid affair. In the unedited version of the film, Pugh is topless as she converses with Murphy’s character in a hotel room. But in the sequence that plays in Indian and Middle Eastern movie theaters, her body is covered with a computer-generated black dress.

Naman Ramachandran Sony Music and Music Women* Germany (MW*G), the nationwide umbrella music organization of all female-identifying and non-binary individuals, have revealed the 2023 winners of the Female* Producer Prize. The prize aims to support and promote the careers of emerging female-identifying producers from across the country. The winners include Mimski, who broke through via the Novembars competition and is currently working on her first album, which will be released on the RUNTLIFE Records label; Evîn, a German/Kurdish singer and producer in alternative R&B who combines elements from different genres like soul and hip-hop with her Kurdish roots; and Kota No Uta, who works mainly in jazz, soul and neo and has recently released a song, “Autumn Leaves.”

Neil Blomkamp first made his big splash in Hollywood with 2009’s “District 9.” But his other sci-fi follows-ups, 2013’s “Elysium” and 2015’s “Chappie,” didn’t fare as well with either critics or audiences. Now, after a brief (and underwhelming) pitstop into horror with 2021’s “Demonic,” Blomkamp tries another genre on for size with the summer blockbuster in the coming-of-age racing movie “Gran Turismo.” READ MORE: Summer 2023 Movie Preview: 52 Must-See Films To Watch Based on the hit PlayStation videogame series, “Gran Turismo” takes on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a player so good at the racing simulation game he ended behind the wheel of a real race car — and did well there, too.

UK agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has named former Meta and Film4 exec Anna Higgs as Managing Director.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Former Meta executive and BAFTA Film Committee chair Anna Higgs has joined U.K. theater, film and television agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates as managing director. Higgs, who will begin her role in August, will be entrusted by the Casarotto board to oversee the business and drive the strategic development and direction of the org. Founded in 1989 and based in London, the independent global agency represents many top writers, directors, playwrights, theater creatives, literary properties and heads of departments in film, theater, TV and new media.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-winning Breakwater Studios, a leading maker of premium short documentaries, has promoted Nana Adwoa Frimpong to Executive Media and Communications Director and Chief of Staff.

Nothing says summer like a festival.

Shawn Johnson just revealed some happy news – she’s pregnant!

Shawn Johnson and her husband, Andrew East, are preparing to add another baby to their family.

, who stepped out at the All England Club earlier this week.The couple looked loved-up as they took in the action on another busy day at SW19, which saw , golden girl of British tennis, sail through to the third round of the tournament. James Middleton, dapper in a linen suit and contrasting , put a protective arm around his wife, who leaned into his side.

Kate Middleton's younger brother is about to be a dad! James Middleton took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared that he and his wife, Alizee, are expecting a baby.«We couldn’t be more excited … well Mable might be ❤️,» the proud dog dad wrote in his caption. «It was a very difficult start to the year after losing my beloved Ella however we will end the year with the most precious little addition to our growing family ❤️.»Ella was James' Cocker Spaniel, who died in January. In the post, James posted two photos of Alizee and the couple's doggies as she shows off her baby bump. A post shared by James Middleton (@jmidy)The baby news comes nearly two years after Kate and Pippa Middleton's younger brother tied the knot in France.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Dubai-based pay-TV and streamer OSN launched its rebranded OSN+ streaming service in March 2022 — and then lost some momentum when Disney+, the following June, pulled out its premium content and started a standalone platform in the Middle East. However, OSN remains a leading small-screen outlet for prime Hollywood scripted fare in 22 territories across the Middle East and North Africa. In March 2023, they extended their relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery, forging a new multi-year licensing deal that makes them the exclusive home for HBO content such as “Succession” in the region. And, they’ve retained exclusive rights to Paramount+ shows, plus a slate of Sky Studios and Peacock Originals produced by NBC Universal — among other Hollywood deals firmly in place — as well as recently expanding their exclusive partnership with ITV Studios in the U.K.